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 sighting in on: Attic Tactics  The least anticipated step in the process is “The Prairie Dog.”


cult for a twitchy suspect to remain quiet in that environment for any length of time. Also, consider the call that led offi cers to the location in the fi rst place. If there’s reliable in- formation indicating the presence of an armed suspect, there is no sense in entering until all available resources are in place, if even then. Time is on the side of the patient crime fi ghter at that point. On the other hand, if the originat- ing call is just an alarm or open door, the attic will probably have to be cleared by whomever is available. If that’s the case and if the resources are suffi cient, post an offi cer at the attic entry point while the rest of the residence is cleared. T en use all of the available manpower and equipment to focus on that one area. It’s too diffi cult and important of a task to approach haphazardly. Also, don’t neglect verbal com- mands before proceeding. In most police of- fi cers’ experiences, suspects rarely respond to “pretty please.” However, they occasionally surrender (or at least respond) upon the threat of “I’ll release the dog” or “tear gas.”


Breaching


 Salient offers a folding tactical mirror for about $30 which can easily fi t in a patrol offi cer’s duty kit.


sonal protective equipment (body armor and brain buckets) to avoid superfl uous perforation. T e dozen of us had equipment consisting of bunkers (ballistic shields), level IVA entry vests, multiple illumination tools, and a tactical mir- ror to enhance our safety. T ankfully, that call- out ended only with conversation. An attic is among the most diffi cult and dangerous environments an offi cer may have to clear. Joe or Jane Street Cop, who must handle this task with only a few offi cers and no heavy armor or specialized equipment, has an even more diffi cult task. Having been a small-town cop in the beginning of my career, I was forced


23 The Police Marksman Sep-Oct 2014


into performing that duty alone or with only one backup offi cer on more than one occasion. It is not a recommended activity. If it must be done without heavy support, there are a few steps the patrol offi cer can take to enhance his/ her safety during these searches.


Stop, Look, and Listen = Intel Before even starting an attic search, conduct a quick threat assessment. What’s the probability that there is a threat up there? T at’s the primary factor in determining your approach. Look for disturbed areas in the dust around the attic entry point. Take a few moments and listen. It’s diffi -


Obviously, if the attic is just a doorway at the top of a set of stairs, it can be approached like most other “fatal funnels.” However, many attics have ladders or rickety stairs that pull down to provide access while others are simply a hole in the ceiling. To breach the entry point, you have to make a hole. T is may mean pulling the ladder or stairs down by a cord or it may mean using a broom you fi nd in the corner to push the plywood cover out of the way. If this is one of those houses where it’s diffi cult to fi nd a broom (or other cleaning utensils, for that matter), improvise.


Illumination


After gaining access to the attic, the next step is illuminating the area. One method is to carefully place fl ashlights just past the entrance port point- ing in several diff erent directions and then using a mirror to visually clear the space. T at tech- nique has its shortcomings, since it requires a lot of fl ashlights that may not be available to offi cers at the time. It also requires a live good guy to repeatedly reach into the port and place the fl ash- lights. We all know being in the same place more than once is bad when there’s someone on the other side of a soft barrier with bad intentions. A young team member came up with a simple, but surprisingly eff ective method. He always carries glow sticks on his entry vest.


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